The twins often mimic their mom. When Latanya Fisher sits at the table with homework, 5-year-olds Lauren and Laurie will climb onto chairs and start writing themselves.

Brittany, 10, and Brianna, 8, take the remaining seats to complete their own class work.

Brittany loves it when she's assigned to play a computer game designed to teach math, sometimes playing it just for fun.

Gathering at the table to do schoolwork has become a family tradition and, surprisingly, one the girls enjoy.

"I inspired them because I'm going to Houston Community College to get my vocational nursing license," 31-year-old Fisher said. "We're all going to school at the same time."

The single mother qualified as a certified nursing assistant 10 years ago but has been out of steady work for the last six years. Unable to find a full-time position, she fills in at a nursing home whenever needed.

"I don't get that many hours," she said. "Trying to pay bills and not working that much is hard."

She said her experience as a nursing assistant allows her to skip some coursework in the LPN program, so she should finish the new certification next fall. Fisher is confident that it will help her find full-time work again.

Until then, she tries to shield her daughters from the difficult finances, saying they should focus on school and being kids.

"I try to not let them think about that," Fisher said.

"When they get older and understand, yeah, but not right now."

She signed up for the Houston Chronicle's Goodfellows program this year because she said she couldn't afford to buy them holiday gifts.

Goodfellows provides Christmas toys for children ages 2 to 10 in families that need a helping hand - often due to unemployment, illness or family complications - through a partnership with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

Fisher said many of the family's traditions ended when the aunt who raised her passed away in 2008, but she wants to at least have a good meal and some gifts for her daughters to open.

She said that although the twins look alike, they have different personalities that shape how they play.

Laurie, the outgoing one, loves to listen to music.

Lauren, the shy daughter, prefers to dress up Barbies, or play with makeup.

"Her and Brittany have similar personalities," Fisher said. "They like to be the prissy kind."

She said her daughter Brianna is different from the rest: laid-back yet athletic.

Brianna loves games, whether it's on a field or a cellphone. Her favorite sports are soccer and basketball.

"She's an outside person," Fisher said.

As the eldest, Brittany sometimes tries to organize all the sisters for a game, or to help their mom.